WMG / Sonic Generations

Original release guesses

Time Eater ate several games that were never restored into the timeline

• Such as SegaSonic the Hedgehog, Sonic Chronicles, and Knuckles Chaotix, which explains why the Classic Chaotix never appeared. Time Eater is also the reason why Sonic Chronicles 2 was never made. These games were never restored into the timeline because, since Time Eater did all this in its primordial form, before Eggman got a hold of it, even the villains' actions were eaten so that they never happened, which is good for our heroes. Also, he erased Big's presence in this game.
  • Jossed in Big's case; he appeared as a cameo in the downloadable Casino Night Zone mini-game and as a statue in the Hidden Statue Room.
  • Jossed in the case of Mighty and Ray as of Mania.
  • Also jossed for Knuckles' Chaotix, as Knuckles remembers it in TailsTube.

The entire franchise is caused by Generations.

• Characters missing (Fang, Mighty, ect.), items never reappearing (Time Stones, Super Emeralds, Sol Emeralds, World Rings, Swords of Destiny), the change in character designs (Sonic Adventure), adventures never happening (Games not in this, 06). Time Eater is the cause of all of it.
  • And isn't Crisis City from '06?
  • Jossed in the case of Mighty and Ray as of Mania.

Generations didn't cause the franchise, but several stable time loops began/ended here.

It's already been confirmed by the ending that Classic Sonic got the idea to boost from his older self, also he most likely learned the homing attack in this game (since it's purchasable). Classic Sonic had his first chili dog at modern Sonic's party. Eggman went "that crazy" partially because of his "time" spent in the white void of not-time. His successful experience with the Time Eater gave him a sort of hubris involving using Eldritch Abominations for his own gain, and we all know how that ended. Any other ideas are welcome.

This game explains all of Sonic's future character interactions and stage familiarity.

Throughout the series, Sonic never seems to have trouble immediately making friends or getting to know the characters he meets, and that's because he's already met them as Classic Sonic in this game. In fact, Sonic never formally meets Rouge or the three Chaotix members, yet he has absolutely no trouble trusting them during the games in which they're involved, seeing as he knows that they're already destined to be his allies because he met them in Generations. It's also the reason why he has no trouble letting Cream, a little girl, help out in Sonic Advance. It's not until WAY later that he starts forgetting some of the characters he meets, which is why he doesn't immediately recognize Blaze. It's simply been too long. However, Sonic has not met Shadow or Silver, as their battles are for Modern Sonic only. Sonic's also forgotten about the Wisps by Sonic Colors, so when he ends up getting his first laser Wisp, he's quite surprised. By the time he gets his old Spike Wisp back and he comes back to Planet Wisp, he's completely familiar.

As for the stages, Classic Sonic's romp through the many stages is what saves him in many of his future endeavors, due to his familiarity. Sonic has no reaction towards the G.U.N. Truck in SA2, he keeps cool during the giant stone wheel chase in Sonic Heroes (even though Tails and Knuckles do not). In Unleashed, he doesn't recognize the name "Spagonia" because in Generations, it was only ever referred to as "Rooftop Run," but once Tails actually lands, Sonic can get around the city with relative ease.

• He does recognise the name "Spagonia" - when Tails mentions it, Sonic replies "Spagonia? That's a continent over." If he could say where it was, then he probably recognised the name.
• He probably recongised Spagonia because it's the name of a continent on the planet he lives on. People generally tend to recognise locations of the place they live.

Generations takes place between Sonic 2 and Sonic 3.

We know that Modern Sonic is coming from Sonic Colors, the game reveals that Eggman's plan came to fruition after that game's ending, but Classic Sonic? I speculate that he's coming from Sonic 2. He's got his spindash and his buddy Tails, but he lacks the classic 'Insta-Shield', and there is no Classic Knuckles in the game, nor does Sonic seem to recognize him. (Of course, Classic Sonic does not speak, so there's no way to really gauge his reactions towards the other characters. It's worth mentioning that Sonic met Amy before Tails, as Sonic CD takes place before Sonic 2, and thus Sonic would already know Amy in this game.) The Insta-Shield can, however, be bought from Omochao's shop in this game, and it may be where Sonic got that ability in Sonic 3.

Taking place before Sonic 3 would also explain why the game starts in Green Hill Zone. Sonic and Tails haven't left for Angel Island yet, and so Sonic would be perfectly capable of heading back over to Green Hill to take care of a few of the bots he missed before he and Tails head out on the Tornado.

Crisis City WON'T be saved from Time Eater's erasement.

• Well, 1) It's a bad future, and 2) due to the fact that you have to restore the timeline Modern and Classic actually experienced. It might even be where Time Eater IS.
  • Jossed, at least as far as it being where Time Eater is is concerned. Whether or not it got restored to the timeline is still up in the air, though.

The new Egg Dragoon is the "Prototype 2" Eggman said he'd build after the original was destroyed.

• As seen here, the Egg Dragoon has a variety of new features, including physical wings and a second craft resembling the Egg Wyvern.
  • Confirmed.
    • As in the first bullet or by an outside source, or what?

The game will have some sort of tribute to the memory of Michael Jackson.

Becasue it would be blasphemous not to!

The game will begin and end with Sonic celebrating his birthday party.

• Since this is an anniversary game, this would make sense. In the beginning of the game, Sonic's birthday party gets crashed by Time Eater doing his dirty work, and once the time stream is fixed at the end of the game, the party continues where it left off.
  • Kinda like the Star Festival in Super Mario Galaxy.
    • Confirmed.

The game's final level will be a hodgepodge of all the other levels in the game.

• Once the two Sonics beat all the other levels in the game, time eater decides to create a time/space rift where bits and pieces of all of the levels are revisited, but are made much, much harder because, well, you know, it's the final level.
  • Much like the true final stage of Sonic '06. Hopefully without those annoying eyeball things that instantly kill you this time.
  • This could also possibly be used as a way to include other levels from the respective games that weren't used here and even levels from Sonic games not represented in-game (whether in their entirety or as nods in other levels already present).
    • Jossed; there is no proper final stage, only two final bosses in a row after completion of the group of Crisis City, Rooftop Run, and Planet Wisp.
    • However, the final boss battle with Time Eater DOES contain props from all of the other levels (trees and mountains from Green Hill, the G.U.N truck from City Escape, etc.) as obstacles.

We're gonna get Hyper Sonic.

• Two Sonics... so, maybe, fourteen Emeralds — or seven Super Emeralds!
  • Jossed. Unless you mod the PC version...

There will be an option to switch between characters.

• That's right. It'd be sad to see each era of Sonic restricted to their gameplay styles. If it IS intended, however, you may have to complete the game on a first run, though.
  • Semi-Jossed. You can switch, but only in the hub and in one boss.

Classic Sonic is overwriting Modern Sonic's memories.

• Think about it. If Classic Sonic is supposed to be the childhood of Modern Sonic, then everything Classic Sonic experiences, Modern Sonic will remember. For example, Classic Sonic will notice the classic levels are different from before, and Modern Sonic will remember that. However, events from the modern games, Modern Sonic will remember as being different from when he encountered them as Classic Sonic, which could possibly override his memories of when he properly encountered them. For example, Modern Sonic will remember that the GUN Truck chasing him is different from when it chased him as Classic Sonic, but not remember it as different from when it chased him in Sonic Adventure 2, since the events of this game would overwrite that history.

The GUN Truck has been modified with Eggman Nega's future technology.

• How else can it drive alongside a building? Also, given its insane driving moves, intent on killing both Sonics, and the utter disregard for property damage and civilian casualties, this troper is convinced that there is no one behind the wheel, and the truck is now DRIVING ITSELF! Nega upgraded a lowly capture truck into a weapon-equipped, self-aware Boss in Mook Clothing!
  • The truck driving itself would be a brilliant Shout-Out to Stephen King's Maximum Overdrive!
    • Jossed as far as we can tell. There's no mention of Eggman Nega at any point in the game.

The "mysterious villain" who causes the time holes is Eggman Nega.

• They will go with the 'Rivals' origin for him (as the descendant of the Robotnik family). Given how much he likes to screw with time in his plans to destroy the world, Nega could create a time paradox. They can even give him a classic design! After all, he is just a reused concept of Bee-Robotnik.◊
  • ...You are brilliant.
  • Jossed; it's just Eggman working with his past self.

Classic Sonic will be voiced by Roger Craig Smith doing a high pitched voice.

No wonder Sega asked him to do a deep voice for Sonic in Colors.

• Semi-confirmed: Classic Sonic's VA is Smith, but even though he'll probably be using a high-pitched voice for him, we don't know yet.
  • Jossed by SEGA. Classic Sonic is confirmed to be voiceless, and any conclusions to the contrary were due to the trailer editor throwing modern Sonic voice clips in with the classic part of the trailer for the heck of it.
    • Well, it was just a trailer.

Blaze will be redrawn in the classic style

• Why?
  • Because she is an alternate-universe counterpart of both Sonic and Knuckles.
  • That doesn't explain any sort of Classic-style Blaze appearing. Also, having Classic Blaze (or any post SA-characters) will most likely set the fanbase on fire.
  • But... it's an anniversary game. They can't just focus on pre-SA.
  • They meant that a pre-Adventure version of a post-Adventure character would be unlikely to show up.
  • Well, isn't Blaze from the future now, not an Alt Dimension? She time traveled at 15? And Classic Sonic is now 'Young Sonic', being about 10? Oh, never mind. It makes as much sense as Classic Tails, who would be about 3 years old according to this retcon.
  • And Blaze is from an alternate dimension, not the future. Eggman Nega is from the future, though.

This will be the Wii HD's pack-in

• Why would Nintendo pack-in a Sega game?
  • If I recall correctly, Nintendo packed in Sonic Lost World w
  • At least, it might appear on the console, much like how Sonic the Hedgehog 4 appeared on iOS out of freaking nowhere.
• Jossed. But a 3DS version is confirmed.

Classic Sonic will be voiced by Jaleel White.

Why? It would make a brilliant Mythology Gag, that's why!

• Sadly Jossed: Classic Sonic is a Heroic Mime. Although one amusing WMG states the reason is because he sounds like Steve Urkel, and is thus too embarrassed to speak...

Other "Classic" counterparts of other characters will appear.

Most likely Eggman/Robotnik, Tails, and Knuckles, since they've been around since the Genesis days.

• Classic Tails is confirmed.
• Also Amy, who was there before Tails and got one of the most noticeable redesigns.
• Then there's Metal Sonic, who was Sonic's rival way before Shadow.
  • Confirmed by Sega. Image.
• The Chaotix. They were in Knuckles Chaotix.
  • Not likely, since Sonic Team retconned it out of existence, and retooled them as a detective trio in Sonic Heroes.
    • It seems that the Chaotix are in. But it seems unlikely that we'll see Classic Counterparts for them..
• Classic Eggman on a sign post was seen in one of the gameplay videos accompanying Takeshi Izuka's interview, so confirmed for him at least.
• Classic Tails now makes no sense. Classic Sonic is supposed to be a younger Sonic, about 10? That makes Classic Tails 3. A 3 year old. Unless Tails isn't 8 anymore. Sega can't keep their canon straight. Tails needs to be aged up to 12 or 13. Amy is still 13 in Modern continuity? She barely scrapes by then.
  • Sonic Jam's profile of Sonic says he's 16! How is that supposed to keep the canon in order?!
  • No, Tails does not need to be aged up. He's 4 in Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog... Think of it this way: Classic Amy is 8, Modern Amy is 12. So, 4 years, having Classic Tails at 4, and Classic Sonic at 11.
• Tails was 8 around the time of the Sonic Adventure games, and Sonic was 16. If we assume Sonic is now 20 (being his 20th birthday or whatever) and it's been around four years in-canon since Sonic Adventure, then Tails is currently 12. Assuming a huge amount of time didn't pass between the classic games and Sonic Adventure, classic Tails is 5 or 6 and classic Sonic is around 13.
  • Wrong. Sonic was 15 in Sonic Heroes.
  • Modern Sonic is 15, Classic is 12. In this game Sonic turns 16, and thus it all makes sense now.
    • Canonically, Sonic has always been 15, so Classic Sonic is 15.
    • Nuh-uh. He was stated to be 10 by the Sonic 1 manual, and 16 by Sonic Jam. So Classic Sonic's age isn't set on stone, and he's definitely some years younger than Modern Sonic.

Classic Tails is 3 or 4 years old, and it makes sense.

He's a fox. Canids reach sexual maturity at one year old at the latest. As for young Sonic? They're anthropomorphs. Nobody ever said the amount and type of human traits they have need to be consistent.

• They are also ANTHROPOMORPHIC CARTOON ANIMALS and all things considered they certainly seem to age like humans.
• Problem with the theory: Tails is also an anthropomorph. What applies for Sonic also applies for Tails. This isn't so much fridge brilliance so much as it is a headscratcher as to how the original troper came up with it.

Classic Sonic will be voiceless.

Because he never had any dialogue in the Genesis games.

• Confirmed by SEGA.

The game will be a Crisis Crossover.

The use of old and new in tandem with each other suggests this.

• Possibly. This could be similar to what happened in Turtles Forever, regarding Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
  • It will thus establish the classic games as belonging to a different continuity than the more recent ones. As a result, the fans will eat each other alive over the relative canonicity of Sonic the Hedgehog 4. In addition, and just like in TMNT, Classic Sonic will be portrayed as goofy and cartoony, thus further angering the fans.
    • For the love of God! WHY?!
    • Everybody can breathe now. We are dealing with time travel and not the multiverse.

Classic Sonic was Modern Sonic before he went through puberty.

Classic Sonic was apparently 10 during the events of Sonic 1, and there was a five-year Time Skip between that and Sonic Adventure.

• Apparently confirmed. Classic Sonic is Sonic as a kid.
  • Unfortunately, Sonic Forces seems to have this Retconned; as Classic Sonic is actually Sonic from Another Dimension.
    • Perhaps the Classic Sonic from Forces is a different one from the Generations one? So while Generations!Classic Sonic is Modern Sonic's past self, Forces!Classic Sonic is from another dimension in which the characters still look like their younger selves.
    • Actually, didn't Sonic said in Forces that it's been Generations since he's last seen Classic Sonic? Either this was a joke dialogue by the Pontaff duo, or Classic Sonic really is from Another Dimension, after the events of Generations? ^note  The manual for Sonic Mania states that it actually takes place after S3&K, but it might be its own dimension version of that game.
    • Mania throws another wrinkle in this thanks to implying that Classic Sonic's appearance in Forces happened between Mania mode and Encore mode.

Both Sonics will merge into one new Sonic design that will appeal to both Classic and Modern audiences.

Why not?

• Because that's impossible.
  • Not possible. Adventure is now 'Older Sonic', being 15, and Classic is now 'Young Sonic' at 10.
    • There is this guy◊.
    • There's also the fact that the Modern Sonic design is a fusion of the Adventure design and the Classic design in the first place.
• Jossed. Both remain separate, and the game implies that the change in design is simply physical maturation through the years.

The first trailer is purely allegorical.

The game will actually be a compilation of various remastered levels from the series, with no plot whatsoever.

• Semi-Jossed. While there's levels from previous games, there IS a plot.

There will be two styles of gameplay.

Modern Sonic will have the style of Sonic / Sonic Colors, while Classic Sonic will have the style of the Sonic Adventure games, especially the first one.

• What.
• Perhaps Modern Sonic will have the Unleashed / Colors style, switching to and from 3D and 2.5D. Classic Sonic, though, might always play in a 2.5D environment.
• I guess I'll be the one to point out the obvious: that doesn't make sense. Why would the Sonic that premiered in SA not get SA-style levels? Additionally, the Unleashed-style levels bear a great resemblance to the oldschool stuff by virtue of being 2D half the time. Seems like the reverse of what you said would make more sense.
• Guess no more.

There will be some clash between the old and the new.

Due to the differences between the Genesis games and the Post-Sonic Adventure games in both gameplay and the the character's personalities, this is almost inevitable.

• For example, Modern Sonic is confused at why Classic Sonic is so fat, and why Classic has to pump his hands when he runs rather than Modern's method.
  • I'm wondering why he pumps his hands at all when he's at full speed; Sonic keeps his arms bent close to his body when at top speed in the Genesis games.
    • Semi Jossed. C. Sonic learns the homing attack from M. Sonic.

Both Sonics will have exclusive moves.

• Classic Sonic won't be able to wall jump, since he hasn't done them in his games. Modern Sonic might not be able to do a Super Peel Out, because he technically wasn't in Sonic CD. They may also share moves, like the double jump, a la Sonic R and Colors.
  • Confirmed. Classic Sonic has the Spin Dash and Spin Attack. Modern Sonic has the Homing Attack and Speed Boost.
    • And in the 3DS Version, Classic Sonic plays just like the classic games, while Modern Sonic plays similar to the Sonic Rush games, so the latter has the Boost as well. Um, does anyone know if Modern Sonic has the homing-attack in the 3DS version?
    • The homing attack is part of Modern Sonic's moveset in the 3DS game.

Sonic learned his Bird Run from himself.

• Past Sonic learned from modern Sonic that running at incredibly high speed is easier that way, as his arms will be floating of the air resistance rather than fighting against it, as well as serving as balance aids; classic Sonic then replicates this in Sonic CD.
  • Yes, but CD came before Sonic 3 (and probably 2). Why would he stop doing the Bird Run if he found it more efficient?
    • Actually, CD is now chronologically set between Episode 1 and 2 of Sonicthe Hedgehog 4. So...
    • That doesn't make sense if 4 = Modern Sonic and CD = Classic Sonic. I think people were reading too much into that vague hint about CD being connected to 4.
    • If anything Sonic CD at least took place after Sonic 3 and Knuckles. Notice how the robotic Sonic knock offs gradually improve from Silver Sonic (in Sonic 2) to mecha Sonic (Sonic 3 and K) than finally Metal Sonic (Sonic CD) as the end result.
    • Explain where Tails and Knuckles went, as well as the complete and utter absence of the Tornado, in that case. CD most likely happens between 1 and 2.

The villain changing time is Mighty.

• Out to take revenge for being forgotten by everyone and for Sonic taking the role that was meant to be his.
  • That sounds very similar to that lucky rabbit.
• Jossed. It's Eggman, as usual. Only twice as much so.

The cause of the "time holes" is the reset button ending of Sonic '06

.

• As such, the creation of the time holes could possibly be the master plan of either Mephiles on his own or Solaris as a whole.
  • I could see Mephiles/Solaris being behind it... somehow. Even if they don't exist anymore. I mean, time travel is so messed up in the Sonic-verse it makes sense that they could still exist in some shape or form somewhere.
    • That's the exact same thing I was going to post, only with an addendum: The plot to this game will not only fully incorporate Sonic 06 back into the canon, but it will also do it in a way which will rescue Sonic 06 (at least story wise) from the Scrappy Heap. Yes, it is going to be *this* awesome.
    • Mephiles can exist in any time before or after the section where he was erased, and could therefore bide his time in the fragments of the Sonic 06 timeline in a ploy to get Blaze. After all, of Sonic 06 erased itself, why didn't Blaze come back? Because she was in another dimension and therefore exempt from the ret-con. So Iblis is still within her, hence why she didn't want to make friends so easily.
• If Mephiles is behind this, we could finally get an explanation for his omnicidal mania.
• And now that the villain's name is revealed to be the "Time Eater", it is very likely that this is an alias for Solaris, since eating time is something that he can do.
  • Nope. It's Eggman and Robotnik.

The game will lob a Take That! or two at Sonic the Hedgehog (2006).

Mainly as a bit of Self-Deprecation on Sonic Team's part.

• For example, Modern Sonic will bring up the time he kissed a human, clearly disgusted at bringing it up. Classic Sonic is also a bit disgusted, but for one other reason...
  • It's hard for Sonic to express disgust at kissing a human, considering he never did. It's also hard for him for show disgust at being kissed, considering that he might have not known it had happened. You know, due to the whole "being dead and revived into his Super Mode (complete with the bright light obscuring EVERYTHING) within the span of five seconds" thing. And the "him not being nearly as butthurt as some people were about the Interspecies Romance" thing. That whole "the plot of the game didn't happen" thing might count for something too.
• Levels from 06 show up, but the two Sonics agree that they aren't worth completing. They can still be completed For the Lulz, but the game clearly question's the player's taste if they do.
  • The level would be completely reimagined and amped up in quality. What would be the point in guilt tripping people for playing it if it actually doesn't suck anymore?
    • They might point out that they don't remember being here before.
    • Not really Sega's style. Maybe the writers, but I think Sega would say 'Flat No.', but then, they are removing all the 'sub par' Sonics from Metacritic or something.
    • Semi-Confirmed. The leak from the demo indicates that Crisis City from 06 will be one of the levels in the game, representing part of the modern era. Silver is also one of the rival bosses in the game. So yeah. How the plot is going to incorporate them is anyone's guess.
    • Jossed; the only stages on which remarks are made are Green Hill and Chemical Plant (and if you complete it with Modern last, Sky Sanctuary).
    • Moreover, M. Sonic actually promises C. Sonic that his best days are ahead of him.

Levels from both eras will have modifications to fit each Sonic's playstyle

Classic stages will play on a 3D/2D plane when playing as Modern Sonic, while modern stages play on a 2D plane when you play as Classic Sonic.

• Confirmed with the trailer for Sonic Adventure 2's City Escape stage.

Part of the plot will be both Modern and Classic Knuckles being duped.

• Both echidnas are incredibly gullible, and it's a old Running Gag.
  • Jossed. Only Modern Knuckles is in the game. And he never directly interacts with Eggman.

This will be a typical cutscene.

Modern Sonic: There you are! I bet you just trashed that giant beaver dolphin robot thing.
Classic Sonic: :-0
Modern Sonic: How do I know? Well, that's because I was there, when I was you.
Classic Sonic: :-/
Modern Sonic: That's right! I know everything you are going to say. Strange, isn't it?
Classic Sonic: ;-)

This game is doomed.

• Let's look at this. Extremely vague, short, shallow trailer for a 3D Sonic game made for an anniversary only released for the HD systems that absolutely must be released this year. Where have we seen this before?

(NOTE: Given that a) this was so thoroughly jossed I don't even know why this was deleted before, b) we don't need to open old wounds here, and, most pertinently, c) for some ungodly reason, this WMG devolved into an argument about the relative merits of Sonic Unleashed, this has been deleted for your continued pleasure. You're welcome.)

Some elements from the Sonic 1 beta will appear.

• Remember the Sonic Band? They could appear in this game's sound test. Madonna, the scrapped love interest, might even make an appearance... as a Take That! to the folks who are still sore about Elise.
  • Somewhat confirmed, at least by Classic Sonic's victory poses when he hits the signs, which he was originally intended to do.
  • I'd like to see the Marble Zone UFOs or some of Sonic 2's Lost Levels myself.
• Confirmed. Vector plays keyboard in a challenge.

Past levels that had a gimmick will retain them.

• The entire game is generally about time travel, so stages from Sonic CD wouldn't feel right without the gimmick. Also, if any Colors stages return, they might feature Wisps. City Escape could even bring back the awesome snowboard.
  • Confirmed, City Escape has Modern Sonic on the board, and Classic Sonic gets a skateboard for a section as a nod to Sonic 3.
  • So that means we will get to see Swordplay and Werehog?
  • Interesting point. There is a possibity that a Black Knight level won't appear. This might carry over for the Werehog stages, because Modern Sonic plays similar to the day stages.
    • Spagonia is referenced on one of the City Escape billboards, it's a possibility.
    • Sega is only using games from the main canon, so no Secret Rings or Black Knight stages (or Advance stages, unless those are being saved for the 3DS version). If Unleashed stages are in, they'll most likely be cleaned-up daytime stages, or daytime versions of the night stages (most likely if Eggmanland is used). Now confirmed for the latter part, Spagonia's Rooftop Run stage is in the game.
    • A Werehog icon has been discovered in the game. Same thing for Pink and Orange Wisps.
    • The Werehog icon was just a leftover from Unleashed HD. He is not likely to appear in the game.
    • The Werehog does appear... in an archival still frame in the credits.
    • This game confirms Sonic and the Secret Rings as part of the main canon, thereby making Sonic and the Black Knight canon.

There will be a Sonic's Schoolhouse based level

• Perhaps Classic Sonic's Old Shame?

Classic Sonic is silent...

...because his voice has just started to crack. It sounds weird and he's embarrassed of it, so he deliberately refrains from speaking.

Metal Sonic will appear, in both his CD and Heroes iterations.

• If they might be doing both Robotniks, this is certainly possible.
  • Semi-confirmed in CD Metal Sonic's case, for now.

Big the Cat dies.

Every prior anniversary had someone die.

1. Adventure 2: Shadow, Maria, Gerald, Biolizard
2. 06: Sonic, Elise, Duke of Soleanna, Mephiles, Blaze, Elise's Predecessor, Robotnik

Also, he's a very hated character.

• Sega can't be that desperate to win back the "Big Hatedom", can they?
  • He hasn't been a required playable character ever since his debut (not counting the level he's introduced in Sonic Chronicles, but even then, you can go through the rest of the game without him, and even THEN, a lot of people consider Chronicles Canon Discontinuity anyways), and Sonic Team seems perfectly content with including him in games as a mere Easter Egg. Apparently, he has enough of a fanbase to warrant the production of action figures. He could easily be Rescued from the Scrappy Heap by throwing a few more IQ points his way. Not to mention that killing any characters would go against the Reverse Cerebus Syndrome that Sonic Team has been going for as of late.
    • Big won't die. Not to mention the ones you mentioned either came back to life, were never dead in the first place, died long before the events of the game happens, or were bosses who had to be eradicated anyway.
    • If Sonic is becoming less serious, they could play Big's demise more for dark comedy than sadness. Problem solved.
    • Jossed - You can find a statue of him in the Trophy Room.

As for how Big dies

• He attacks Sonic again, but this time, he means business. Sonic ends up attacking him a little too hard, which hospitalizes him. He can not afford the bill for surgery, so he passes on.
  • Again, Sonic Team is going for the Reverse Cerebus Syndrome treatment here.
    • Maybe it's more Black Comedy than sadness.
    • Or he hangs himself or is killed by Eggman.
    • Or he gets torn in half by a Portal Cut.
    • Big hanging himself? Yeah, that's been seen before, actually...

Big will not die in his cameo appearance.

• You guys are sadistic bastards.
  • Even BETTER...

Big will pull a Moment of Awesome involving a oversized Froggy.

• The team will be trapped against a corner with the boss ready to kill them... Cue Big hopping along with a oversized Froggy crushing the bad guys. Bonus Points if the crew does some Lampshade Hanging on the Took a Level in Badass trope.

Big will be turned into a non-anthropomorphic cat

Because of the lighter tone, and this would effectively kill him, maintaining tradition while retaining a light tone.

The New Villain is...

A. Harold Saxon/The Master
B. A Face Heel Turned Silver
C. The Doctor Himself
D. Trunks
E. Mephiles
F. Eggman Nega
G. Doc
H. Axl Low

Please note that they are all time travel related.

• Silver does appear as a boss. Not quite sure if he's the Big Bad, though.
  • Jossed. It's actually Modern Eggman and Classic Robotnik piloting a supernatural machine.

Modern Eggman unsealed this game's Big Bad.

• After trying to defeat Sonic with his Mecha-Mooks and failing in Sonic Colors, he went back to this longtime habit.
  • Jossed. Modern Eggman and Classic Robotnik ARE the big bad!
  • Modern Eggman DID find the Time Eater floating out in space, though, so that's pretty close, at least.

There will be a new incarnation of Shahra/Merlina.

She will once again get more spotlight than any other NPC.

• One problem: this isn't a Sonic Storybook Series entry.
  • Jossed. Shahra does get a reference, though.

The Main Villain Is Metal Sonic.

After he escaped in Sonic Free Riders, he comes into contact with the Metal Sonic of the past and they come up with a plan to take over the past and future worlds.

• Eh, what would Metal Sonic gain from this? Really.
• A true rematch in Stardust Speedway? At least the fans would like that...
• Actually, Metal Sonic was ranting about a Machine Empire in Sonic Heroes, so perhaps he wishes to create a nightmare future ala Terminator.
• He would gain the one thing he ever wanted: To destroy Sonic. So he felt, why not get help from his past self and kill both Sonics?
  • Jossed. Classic Metal Sonic only appears as a Rival boss.

Assuming the Nintendo 3DS version is real... (from the time of this writing, it was not confirmed yet)

It will get exclusive levels from the Sonic Advance trilogy and Sonic Rush series. Specifically, when the Classic and Dreamcast levels are done, the Modern sections will take a turn into the handheld titles.

• I'm expecting more Game Gear levels in, especially Sunset Park. If only for the freight-train boss with awesome music.
• Possibly confirmed. Nintendo Power has confirmed that Green Hill is the only stage shared between the 3DS and Console versions.
• Also, the dev team is looking into previous handheld levels for the 3DS.
• Confirmed. Water Palace is present, and Classic Sonic's version of Tropical Resort is based on the DS version rather than the Wii version.

Classic Sonic Will Have At Least ONE Line in the Entire Game

• Most likely at the end, where both Sonics bid farewell to each other, and before Modern Sonic returns to his time, Classic Sonic speaks at the very last moment, much to the surprise of Modern Sonic. Very likely to be spoiler tagged if true.
  • It could also be a Call-Forward of Classic Sonic becoming the new Modern Sonic he ventured alongside with throughout the entire game. Since the game's theme is Time Travel, doesn't this mean that...
  • What if Classic Sonic only utters a single word in the entire game?
  • And the voice will be DAN GREEN! ... I mean Ryan Drummond or Jason Griffth, just as a Take That to the fans. ;P
    • Sadly, Jossed. He is always mute throughout the entire game.

There will be a Captain Ersatz of Sally Acorn in this game.

Because so many people would just love to see Sally Acorn in a Sonic game, and whilst companies that own rights to Sally may get generous enough to offer her use for just this one game, Sonic Team wouldn't want her enough to buy rights to her; thus, we get a character somewhat reminiscent of her.

• Maybe the "mysterious villain" is Sally?
• Somewhat reminiscent of Sally? Perhaps Tiara from Sonic X-Treme?! Elise from 06?
  • Sega owns the rights to Sally, though...
• Jossed. Not only does she or an expy of her not appear whatsoever, the only characters that do appear are those who have appeared in at least one Sonic game prior to Generations.

This game will be full of Easter Eggs.

All harkening back to the development of the characters; for example, someone else said that Sonic's band and his girlfriend Madonna, from back when Sonic's character wasn't finished, may show up, though only as Easter Eggs and not as NPCs, as they never existed in the timeline this is set in. (It could end up being a 'possible future' Sonic, I suppose, since the future can't be 'set'.)There's also bound to be a lot of information on the conception and development of characters coming to light with the release of the game.

• Confirmed. In the room with the art and music, you can enter a secret trophy room.

This game will reboot continuity.

Partly to freshen things up, and partly to make things for the Unpleasable Fanbase work out.

• According to an interview in Nintendo Power, this is going to happen for the Archie Sonic series as part of its Sonic Generations tie-in (a 4-parter called Genesis.) It also mentions that one of the main characters is going to die; this probably refers to Sally, as she's already gotten blasted while raiding the Death Egg in a recent issue.
  • I think it's Rotor. Nobody would miss him.
    • This troper would, and Rotor was already revealed as part of the reboot, alive and well, so I'm going to say Jossed.
    • Or maybe it's Ash.

Sonic changing eye color...

...will either either A) be treated as a Noodle Incident or B) actually happen on-screen to Classic Sonic at the end of the game, possibly as a side effect of a Phlebotinum Breakdown.

• Puberty makes the most sense. Humans gain more hair, hedgehogs get more colours. :P
• Call it crazy, but maybe Sonic's vision really got bad over the years, and he wears green contacts?

The 3DS version will also have two gameplay styles.

• Classic Sonic will have the Advanced gameplay style, while Modern Sonic will use the Rush one.
  • Classic Sonic plays similar to the console verison. Modern Sonic uses the Rush/Colors DS style.

The opening theme will be a remixed version of Sonic Boom.

• Because the song is that cool.
  • Jossed, unfortunately. At least there's an awesome remix of Sonic 1's theme.
  • Considering Crush 40 have covered it at Sega's recent Sonic Boom event, I'd wager it'll be used as Metal Sonic's boss theme, or in the credits. Or just stuck on the soundtrack, since it's a fan favourite song.
    • Confirmed, Sonic Boom can be unlocked to be played in any level.

Classic Dr. Robotnik's henchmen will be a Clucker, a Grounder, and a Coconuts.

• As a reference to Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, which will have Modern Dr. Robotnik remember why he got rid of those three in favor of Orbot & Cubot.
  • ...Hey, that would actually be kinda cool.
    • That. Is. Amazing.

Ristar will somehow make an appearance.

• In a way, he's the Oswald to Sonic's Mickey. Bonus points for Ristar actually being significantly built up from a rabbit, which happens to be one of Sonic's prototype designs.
  • Since there's two "Mickeys" (Both Sonics), maybe there's two "Oswalds". Ristar and Mighty partner together to claim the title they both believe they deserve.

As will Alex Kidd.

• It's more faint than Ristar, since Kidd's not at all related to Sonic other than being Sonic's predecessor mascot. His recent appearance in Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing could be used to justify another appearance, however.

As well as anyone from the Sega timeline not involving Sonic.

They're pissed at the fact they are stuck while Sonic is the company's favorite.

Classic Sonic will be competing in the 2012 London Games.

• New characters are added for each Mario & Sonic game. With all the Generations hype, it seems natural for Classic Sonic to be in the action. He can also compete with his old rival, Mario.
  • DEMAND CLASSIC MARIO FOR CLASSIC SONIC! How could Nintendo DARE to change him from being red-brown to blue-red?!!1 BRRRRING BACK THE RED SUSPENDERS!!!1
    • Don't you dare start.
    • HOW DARE MARIO WEAR A SHORT SLEEVE SHIRT?!1 MARIO'S RUINED FOREVER!!
    • Oh you.
    • HOW DARE THEY THINK SONIC IS BETTER THAN MARIO DUE TO THIS GAME! START A FLAME WAR ON THE DISCUSSION PAGE!!!11ONEELEVEN!1!1!! (Not really, It was a joke.)
  • Jossed. Only the 20 characters from the Winter games are confirmed.
  • There's always the possibly of an alternate costume for Sonic.
    • Or having Classic Sonic as a Hidden Character you can play as after meeting certain criteria, or more likely an unplayable boss in a running event.
    • And he could even be offered as Downloadable Content.
  • Jossed completely; no Classic Sonic, nor Classic Mario. This includes the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics and the Rio 2016 Olympics.

Sega created Sonic the Hedgehog 4 as a way to throw people off about Classic Sonic's return.

• The developers intentionally went with the Modern design to make people think that they weren't going to make Classic Sonic a playable character. They also went further to justify it by making Classic Sonic Modern's younger counterpart. This is only supported by the fact that it started development after Sonic Unleashed wrapped up.
  • Classic Sonic is Young Sonic. Sonic 4 is Puberty Sonic.
    • Nope. They're actually from two seperate dimensions, as proven by Sonic Forces.
    • Mania throws in an extra wrinkle and points more towards time travel than dimension-hopping by showing what just happened from Classic Sonic's perspective just before and just after his appearance in Forces.

Classic Sonic will end up injured at some point near the end of the game and pull some Doctor Who-style regeneration.

To explain why Sonic looks the way he does now, disregarding the theory that classic Sonic is Sonic at 10 years old, this is also supported by Robotnik in one episode of Adventures of Sonic going "one trouble-making teenager has made me pull every hair from my beautiful head".

The Time Stones will have something to do with the plot.

• The new villain, hearing of their power, gets his/her/its hands on them. The villain and the Time Stones' power are the ones causing the time holes to open up.
• Jossed. Time travel is involved, but it's thanks to a robot instead of a set of gems.

The 3DS Version will be better than it sounds.

• Yes, Dimps is involved, but they're co-developing along with Sonic Team, which is promising. Also, to those complaining about Modern Sonic's gameplay being based on Sonic Rush, Sonic Team has been listening to the fanbase a lot recently, and it's likely they've heard any complaints about Rush the fanbase has had. We haven't even seen any of the 3DS version, and only a little of the console version.
  • Some fans were probably stained since Sonic Team and Dimps co-developed Sonic the Hedgehog 4, too. A game that used a modified Sonic Rush engine in the end. Some fans probably don't want to take any chances again, since they believe that this alliance will affect the Classic gameplay, as well.
    • Except that Dimps worked on the Sonic Advance Trilogy, too, and that was well-received (or, the first one was, anyway). And I know why they're all so worried about Dimps co-developing (because of Sonic 4), but chances are they're only working on the Modern gameplay. Which is why they're only co-developing. Maybe.
  • But yeah, we shouldn't really assume anything, yet. We just have to wait to see how much different the 3DS version will be from the console version.

Prior to the final boss, both Sonics will undergo a Boss Rush of the final bosses from their respective generations.

Possibly going in opposite directions in time in order to both arrive at the final boss in the middle. Something like this:

Modern Sonic: Sonic Colors —> —> (Transform into Super Sonic) —> Sonic Unleashed —> Sonic 2006 —> Shadow —> Sonic Heroes —> SA2 —> SA

Classic Sonic: Sonic 1 —> Sonic 2 —> Sonic CD —> Sonic 3 —> (Transform into Super Sonic) —> Sonic & Knuckles

After completing both, the true final boss would be unlocked, involving both Super Sonics. Why? Because it would be pretty awesome.

• With the possible exception of Sonic 2006 and Shadow due to the former's Canon Discontinuity and the latter's... not having Sonic. Plus, removing those two would give each Sonic exactly five bosses to complete.
  • Oh how I hope this is true. A time-travelling pincer strategy would be more epic to this troper than the final blow against Colour's final boss.
• Jossed.

Classic Sonic will have Super Sonic unlockable for his stages, while Modern Sonic will use it for the final boss.

• In order to mimic the trends set by both generations.
  • As of Sonic Colors, it seems perfectly possible that Modern Sonic can unlock Super Sonic too.
    • Semi-confirmed; both Sonics use Super Sonic for the final boss as a tag-team, and both have them unlockable in their stages.

Hyper Sonic (and possibly something beyond) will appear in this game, and be playable as both Sonics.

• Rule of Cool aside, the Sonics go through 3 different eras, so who's to say there won't be three sets of Chaos Emeralds as long as they put all of them back in their eras.
  • If the Emeralds are capable of warping time, chances are there will only be one set of Emeralds throughout, but their chaotic nature makes them change colors.
    • Main theory jossed, but this last bit confirmed. There's only one set of Chaos Emeralds, but they do change color over the course of the game. Namely, upon retrieval, they go from matte white to their original colors.

The Death Egg will play an important role in the game.

• At some point, the unknown enemy will use the Death Egg to complete his plans of taking over space and time.
  • The upcoming Archie Comics' Sonic the Hedgehog arc involves the Death Egg doing similar things as in Generations. The fact that it could be a tie-in helps this guess.
  • Confirmed, if the leak is true.
  • Not necessarily. All we know is that the Death Egg Robot is a boss. How much it ties into the Time Eater and whatnot is currently unknown, but seeing as it's an early boss, I would assume it isn't much.
• Jossed. It's just the setting for the boss it houses.

Classic Sonic will have but one line at the end of the game:

• "I'm outta here."
• Jossed. He doesn't speak at all.

At the end of the game, Modern will offer Classic words of wisdom for the future.

• More precisely, he will encourage Classic to never give up hope; no matter how rough things will get in the future, it'll eventually turn out alright. Not only does this serve to explain Sonic's unwavering happy-go-lucky attitude (he knows things will be okay, because his future self told him so), it's a meta-commentary on the rise, fall, and re-rise of the franchise.
  • "If the two-tailed fox can keep up with you, he'll be your friend for life. Take good care of him."
  • "If you meet a pink hedgehog, be reasonably nice to her, but if she starts charging at you, RUN AWAY. Especially if she's holding a large hammer."
  • "Don't be too angry at the red echidna, he can't help being that gullible."
  • "Keep an eye on those birds. Rings won't be the only thing you lose!
  • "That weird walking water dude isn't so bad. He's just misunderstood."
  • "The black hedgehog has lots of issues, you'll need to be patient with him."
  • "True friends that stay beside you are your real superpowers!"
  • "Whatever you do, do not let any creepy cultist aliens have their way with the planet."
  • "Soleanna's a boring place. Just avoid it. Trust me."
    • That could be the Take That! the WMG talking about a Take That! to '06 was talking about.
  • "If you start changing into a monster every night, don't freak out too much. It won't change who you are inside."
  • "Eggman may be up to his old tricks, again, but don't worry. Just stop his plans and take him out like before!"
  • "If Eggman starts claiming to have reformed, don't believe him for a second."
  • "The plumber isn't such a bad guy when you get to know him. You probably won't believe me when I say this, but you'll both look back and laugh about this whole thing in the future."
    • "Try to stay away from a weird cardboard box. The snake inside it doesn't like hedgehogs!"
  • "Try to make sure the bat thief and pink hedgehog don't kill each other."
  • "Don't let Eggman do your shoe shopping!"
  • "Show that hawk you're the fastest thing alive!
  • "If some bear and his bird friend challenge you to a race, just go with it. Just remember, this isn't the first time you'll have to race, and it probably won't be the last."
  • "If you end having adventures with the Arabian Nights, or The Knights Of The Round Table, use the Seven Rings or a golden sword."
• Dude, I would love to see that happen. I won't keep my hopes up about the word about Mario, though.
  • Don't be too wishy-washy on that QUITE yet. Sega did have him in THEIR olympic games which I like. The only thing I can agree on is the snake thing. Also, in the 3DS version of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, there is a Yoshi doll in the jungle, as Nintendo Power said.
• I'd like to see this as well. It might just count as a Funny Moment, Heartwarming Moment, Moment of Awesome, AND a Tear Jerker all at once!
• Confirmed. "Hey, Sonic! Enjoy your future! It's gonna be great!"

Most of the achievements/trophies will be named after Mythology Gags, Call Backs, past stage names, and various quotes from the Sonic series.

• The All-Stars Racing devs had a lot of fun with Sega lore with their achievements, so why not do the same thing with Generations?
  • I'm Outta Here: Keep Classic Sonic waiting for 3 minutes.
  • Get A Load Of This: Unlock a piece of bonus material.
  • The More, The Merrier: Collect 200 rings and complete the stage.
  • The Real Superpower of Teamwork: Beat a Co-Op Mission without dying.
  • Collision Chaos: Defeat 100 enemies just by boosting into them.
  • I Can't Believe It: Unlock all of the modern and classic modes of all characters.
  • Reach For The Stars: Spring 100 feet in the air on the space level.
  • Endless Possibility: Never let the boost gauge reach zero.
  • You Can Do Anything: S-Rank every stage.
  • Terminal Verocity: Ground-pound 100 enemies.
  • There Is Only One: Defeat Metal Sonic.
  • Do You Know Who I Am?: Defeat Shadow.
  • It's Still No Use: Defeat Silver, after losing to him once.
  • Sonic's School House: Use all the moves at least 10 times.

The real villain is Omochao

• He's quite upset most people don't like him. So, he's trying to change time in an act of revenge.
  • Jossed. Omochao appears as a guide for the two Sonics, and only if you turn his help on.

The Special Stages in the console version will be based on the Special Stages of the Genesis Sonic Games and Sonic CD.

• The first two will be based on Sonic 1's bonus stage. The next two will be based on Sonic 2. The third stages will be Sonic CD based. The Bonus stage of Sonic 3 will be the final stage.
• This will also be an important part of the game, as this might unlock the final level and Super Sonic.
  • Isn't Sonic 2's the Fan Favourite?
    • Jossed. No special stages available.
    • And the 3DS version uses the Sonic Heroes special stages.

The villains behind the time holes are Classic and Heroes Metal Sonic

• Think about it, Metal Sonic's fate was left in the air after the events of Sonic Heroes. Classic Metal Sonic's first appearance involved TIME TRAVEL. Heroes Metal could have gone back in time and got Classic Metal to help him.
• Jossed. While Classic Metal Sonic is in the game, Heroes Metal Sonic is not.

This game will be ported to the Wii U.

Considering the system's specs, as well as the series's generally greater success on the Nintendo consoles/handhelds, it would make a lot of sense for them to bring it over eventually.

The villain is Sonic himself

• For the wrong reasons. Sonic suddenly snapped after Sonic 4's extremely mixed reactions and destroyed the Time Stones, causing a Temporal Paradox which places Classic Sonic in the wrong timeframe. After realizing what he's done, he sets out to fix the time holes with his classic self, never telling him what actually happened.
  • Or it could be an old Future Sonic who's become bitter and decides to try committing griefless suicide by killing his past self. It would explain why the Sonics keep finding themselves where there's a ton of conflict going around, such as the city with the G.U.N. truck.
    • Wait... First off, what causes Sonic to become suicidal? Secondly, I highly doubt even a bitter Sonic would let his past self die, lest Eggman take over.
    • Also, plotlines like these are why most of Sonic's past games got huge amounts of criticism. Doubtful that a suicidal Sonic would ever appear in this game.

Alternatively, the villain is a Sonic.

Specifically, a Darker and Edgier version of Sonic. This is a Well-Intentioned Extremist version of Sonic, who is trying to Kill and Replace the other Sonics — all for the purpose of giving the universe a "more devoted and pragmatic hero." What could create such a Sonic? Well, remember one of the bad endings in Sonic 2? The one where Tails appeared as a constellation? You know where that led. This Sonic became far more extremist due to this. His Eggman is not the Affably Evil mad scientist we know and love, but a monster on the level of his TV counterpart. Alternatively, this is a Sonic from a Bad Future. From Sonic Colors, we know Eggman can get to Moral Event Horizon levels. This Sonic is from a future where Eggman became a monster, and has made Sonic's life miserable. And Future Sonic is trying to replace his past selves.

The time portals are a way for this Sonic to alter history with abandon, and remain immune to a Temporal Paradox. Through subtle implications, they can describe this terrible world without it increasing the ratings beyond E. Much like how Nintendo added so much Fridge Horror to N and Ghetsis's lives, yet they got away with it. This Sonic could also serve as a subtle Self-Deprecation to SEGA making a habit of games more Darker and Edgier and less Rule of Fun oriented. And, if I'm correct, the alternate Sonic could look just like Ashura. For the nostalgia giggles.

• Or perhaps SHOW the terrible world and get a rating beyond E. Maybe he brings back Tikal/Maria and manipulates them, and/or kills Big.

• Jossed. It's Eggman. Again in more than one sense, too.

Classic Sonic will be able to unlock more of his moves.

• While his look is supposed to be based on Sonic 1, his moveset seems to be based on Sonic 2, thanks to the Spin Dash (as well as the possibility of Super Sonic). With this moveset currently out in the open, the next best thing would be to unlock the ability to use, or in some cases reuse, his Insta-Shield from Sonic 3 & Knuckles, as well as being able to grab the shield powerups from that game and use their moves, as well. All of this being a part of one big Call-Forward.
  • Confirmed by this video. Which was done by a hacker of the first demo.
• Making Sonic CD's Super Peel-Out unlockable would be a dedicated bonus.
  • Confirmed by this thread after the second demo was hacked.
  • And on the 3DS side of things, Classic Sonic learns the Homing Attack just in time for the Dreamcast era levels.

The 3DS version will also be on iOS

Because the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch are gaining ground as gaming devices, and the console version would be too big, so the 3DS version will come here then.

This game will lob some Take Thats at critics.

Especially IGN, probably referencing the "ignorance without IGN" meme.

Fang will be a boss

• Maybe more likely in the 3DS version. Fang's been in more portable games than console ones.

The Mysterious Enemy is actually the first robot that Dr. Robotnik ever created.

During his youth, Ivo Robotnik built a small helper robot called Sprocket. Ivo was proud of his creation, until he started working on bigger, more advanced machines. Over time, Sprocket was deemed useless in Ivo's eyes. So, Sprocket was kicked out. Angered by being thrown out by his master, Sprocket vowed revenge on Ivo. Over the years, Sprocket salvaged abandoned robot parts and used them to make his body bigger and more powerful. Then one day, Sprocket discovered a strange glowing orb. He soon discovered that the orb's powers have the ability to alter time & space. Afterwards, Sprocket decided to take the orb and renamed himself Chronos the Time Master. Then, Chronos declared that he'll use the orb's powers to alter time so that robots are the rulers of the Earth.

• Jossed. It's a robot, but was only created after Colours.

The Death Egg will return

Dr. Eggman, while looking for materials with Cubot and Orbot to build a brand new robot, suddenly finds the charred ruins of the Death Egg in a volcano. Taking advantage of the fact that Sonic is already dealing with someone else, he proceeds to rebuild the Death Egg to not only lure Sonic into fighting him, but also to dispose of the new villain so he can fight Sonic one more time.

• If the recent leak is true, then this is confirmed. The Death Egg Robot appears as a boss.
  • The Death Egg itself does appear, but only as the setting for the Death Egg Robot boss fight.

Eggman and Robotnik (classic Eggman) will team up.

Hey, it's the perfect parallel to both Sonics teaming up.

• Confirmed, the final boss and Time Eater is the two of them teaming up.

Seaside Hill will be somewhat Under the Sea.

• Since it's extremely similar to Green Hill, the dev team's going to mix things up a bit. Think of Seaside Hill being a remix of Aquatic Ruin instead of Green Hill.
  • Plus, the demo was hacked and contained the infamous Drowning theme, so one can assume that it will be used for that stage and/or Chemical Plant.
• Further guessing that Modern Sonic's Seaside Hill will feature "Running On Water" segments, like Holoska, Adabat, Chun-Nan, and Aquarium Park.

  • Confirmed.

It won't just be classic level themes that get remixed

• The bosses will have new remixes too (Duh), but not necessarily of the original songs that played in the battle — For example, Metal Sonic (If the boss is used as a Sonic CD reference) will use Crush 40's cover of "Sonic Boom", whilst Perfect Chaos will use an orchestral version of "Open Your Heart".
  • It's a half-and-half sort of deal. Metal Sonic (the CD version) uses a remix of the JPN Stardust Speedway ~ Bad Future BGM for his boss fight, while a recent video shows an event featuring what is presumably a race between Classic Sonic and Modern Knuckles set to a remix of "Super Sonic Racing" by Cash Cash.
    • In the end, boss fights have remixed versions of the music from that fight. So, Jossed.

More guides will be available.

• Tikal and Chip are the most likely, but Shahra and Caliburn could also work, and possibly even the lesser-known ones like Lumina. They could make them unlockable, one level only, or DLC.
  • Jossed. Chip only appears in archival Unleashed footage during the credits, Shahra is mentioned but not by name, and the rest is unaccounted for.

There will be a demo for Modern Sonic later on.

• When downloading the Classic Green Hill demo, it is labeled "Sonic Generations Green Hill Zone Demo #1". This means that the game may have more than one demo before the official release, and the next demo will most likely involve Modern Sonic's version of Green Hill Zone.
  • If not Green Hill, it may instead be a different stage, from either the Dreamcast era or the Modern era, in order to match the the stage up with Modern Sonic, similar to how Classic Sonic was matched up with a Classic era stage in the first demo.
  • Confirmed by SEGA France. Check your PSN/XBOX LIVE on the 19th October folks!

Tombstones of deceased characters will appear

Possibly at Big's funeral, or in a Werehog level, or Crisis City.

• Jossed. Big doesn't die by virtue of not even showing up, the Werehog is nowhere to be seen in the main gameplay stages, and Crisis City is so destroyed that there's no way of telling what's a tombstone and what's merely rubble.

The 2011 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will promote this game

They will reuse the Sonic balloon from 1993 (complete with this song) to represent Classic Sonic.

• Jossed. But a remake of the 1993 balloon seems likely, or a Modern Sonic balloon.

The Death Egg will be a sort of Marathon Level.

• Both Sonics will have a short act inside the Death Egg, followed by a Boss Rush.
• Jossed, it's merely a boss fight against its' robot.

Why Shadow and Silver are bosses

They are working for the Time Eater. They wanted to defeat Sonic really badly. They made an alliance with him. However, since he has (or is) one of the Friends on the Other Side, those deals gave Shadow and Silver some drawbacks, those being One-Winged Angel modes amongst others.

• Shadow: His arms become guns.
• Silver: Blaze and Eggman Nega's head pop out of his chest.
  • Or it could be that Modern and Classic Sonic travel back to the points in time where Shadow and Silver were Sonic's enemies before having their respective Heel–Face Turn.
    • Actually, Shadow is in the middle of Sonic Adventure 2 and Silver thinks it's a fake Sonic.

The time eater is a zombified Tikal and/or Maria

They (and Beta) are the only dead charcters from the main series that have not been revived yet.

• Well, Tikal isn't technically dead, just trapped in the Master Emerald for all eternity, keeping Chaos company. Maria's a possibility, but highly unlikely unless she was also corrupted, as she's a genuinely kind person. Still, there's always a possibility for almost anything being a final boss.

Stardust Speedway, if indeed part of Metal Sonic's boss battle, will feature a remix from both of Sonic CD's soundtracks.

• Both the Japanese and American soundtracks are amazing, so why not remix both?
  • It's a remix of the Japanese version of the Zone's Bad Future music, although the US Bad Future music is also in the game.
    • In other words, confirmed.

The Red Rings will unlock bonus stages.

• Colors added levels to Game Land, but Generations may run with the idea... add levels from other past Sonic games as optional bonus levels. It's odd that Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles appear as separate games in the 20th anniversary video. CD and Secret Rings are even mentioned.
  • Jossed. They only unlock additional skills.

The Time Eater will act as both an allegory and a Take That! to the Sonic fanbase.

• The Time Eater will act as a Knight Templar that wants to "save" Sonic and Co. by erasing them from history.
  • Either before, during, or after the final boss fight, the Time Eater will probably make some speech about this being Sonic's only "salvation", and Modern Sonic will counter it with a Shut Up, Hannibal! speech about how he's wrong prior to defeating him, serving as a Take That! to Sonic's Broken Base.
    • Jossed. Time Eater is actually a supernatural mech piloted by Classic Robotnik and Modern Eggman.

Sega chose Crisis City as a stage for Ascended Memes.

• If Flame Core was chosen to represent Sonic: Now Loading, the stage themes would have been a bit more diversified, and the game would have been just as paradox-y. However, Sonic never said "That tornado's carrying a car!" in Flame Core, and Shadow never said "Yes, but that alone is insufficient!" there.

Time Eater is actually Eggman's latest creation.

• Eggman made it, and sent it back in time to change time in his favor. Time Eater mucking up the past leads to the Time Holes opening up.
  • Semi-confirmed. It is the latest creation of both Modern Eggman AND Classic Robotnik.
    • If you want to be technical, it's simultaneously confirmed and jossed.

The game will end on a riff on Eggman's Evil Is Not a Toy habit.

• The Time Eater will turn against the Eggmen, but they manage to destroy it before things get worse, with Modern Eggman having a "As if I'm going through that again" attitude. Alternatively, if they fail, Modern Eggman turns to Classic Eggman and tells him, "Trust me, get used to this in the future."
  • Confirmed in regards to it ending on a riff of the habit, but jossed in regards to the Time Eater turning against them.

The PC version will consist of NOTHING but Game Gear levels.

They're omitted from PS3/360 and 3DS, so why not.

• Or even better...
  • Jossed. The PC version is the same as the 360/PS3 versions.

NO Game Gear Levels will be included.

OH PLEASE, MAKE IT CANON! GAME GEAR SONIC GAMES STINK!

• Looks like someone never played or heard of Sonic Chaos and Sonic Triple Trouble.
  • And you're right... I think some levels will be in and improved, so I'm saying this is Jossed already.

The Time Eater is actually Coconuts and his evil army of sewer creatures he befriended being his mooks.

• Feeling rejected by Dr. Robotnik, he seeks help from his only true friends, sewer creatures. Coconuts snuck down chemicals that'll help them be smarter and do things humans do. He them proceeded to trap Robotnik, Scratch, and Grounder, and proceeded to be the next evil dicatator. The reason he could time travel is revealed that he accidently made himself a Time Lord from a chemical explosion gone wrong. The said explosion also made time stones and is the sorce of Coconut's TARDIS. He then decided to stop Sonic once and for all. He than became the monkey behind the chair, never being seen by his employees he hired by sending his Mooks to them. Problem is, he has to make holes to send them back, so he made the time holes.
  • Jossed. Time Eater is actually a supernatural mech piloted by Modern Eggman and Classic Robotnik.

This game will start a gaming meme with characters teaming up with their past selves.

Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time started it, and this game will continue the tradition.

This game will feature a Take That! to people still in the gaming war of Sega and Nintendo.

A end of a level will feature Modern Sonic talking about Mario, or the man with the blue overalls and a mustache being slow on the ground, however being quite a good jumper, and saying after the adventures he has to go to the Olympics with him...

"Back in Time" will be remixed, and serve as a credits theme.

• Sonic R and the Sega Saturn really wasn't a highlight for Sonic's history, but something from the Saturn era should appear. What better than something from Sonic R's cheesy awesome soundtrack.
  • Alright, I'll admit it, a modern, more rock-oriented remix of that song playing during the credits would be... mildly awesome.
• Jossed. The credits theme is an ending medley a-la the Genesis-era games.
  • There is, however, Sonic R content in the form of an unlockable "Super Sonic Racing" remix that turns up for some missions (in both version, no less).

Green Hill Zone will take place at sunset towards the end...

And the music for those last few levels will pitch up to the key of Sunset Hill. This is a good way to sneak a reference to the handheld games without actually using their levels.

• Semi-confirmed. One mission takes place at sunset.

To go along with its theme, the finished game will have two different "Level Clear" themes

• Modern Sonic will use the one heard in Sonic 3 onwards while Classic Sonic will have the one used in Sonic 1 and 2. I think that'd be brilliant at least.
  • Jossed. They both use the one from 3, or rather a remix of the Adventure and Adventure 2 versions.

Classic Crisis City will have the skateboard power-up like City Escape.

• There was a boarding section in the original level, so it makes sense. Likewise, Modern Crisis City will start with boarding.

Silver will pull off a Big Damn Heroes moment

This is, of course, after a boss fight against him, where he remarks that Sonic looks familiar, in a shout out to 06.

• Confirmed. He appears to cheer on Sonic at the end.

Because after all, Silver has proven that he will even travel through time in order to save people, not much of a stretch to see him repaying his debt to the Sonics by saving time itself.

• Semi-jossed. Before the final boss, all of Sonic's friends that he rescued (plus Shadow and Silver) arrive to motivate both Sonics to go Super Sonic.

Shadow is on the wanted poster on 3DS, whereas Fang is a boss

Just to contrast with the home console version, and for humor value.

Time Eater's personality will be a blend of traits from past antagonists.

• Take Eggman and Nega, add a dash of Black Doom, and maybe a sprinkle of Mephiles. Then take Fang, add in Metal Sonic, and maybe a drop of Chaos. Finally, take Erazor Djinn and King Arthur to top off a villain who covers the entire series.
  • But Merlina is the actual Big Bad from The Black Knight, not King Arthur.
  • And maybe for humor, Time Eater will be a total Motor Mouth just like Cubot. And also a Deadpan Snarker like Orbot.
    • Jossed. Time Eater is actually a machine piloted by Modern Eggman and Classic Robotnik.

The Time Eater is the personification of the Unpleasable Fanbase.

Because what else would want to go after Sonic like this?

Crisis City was chosen because it's the biggest spectacle.

It's going to resemble the Los Angeles destruction scene in 2012, with Sonic running through collapsing buildings and outrunning crumbling highways. The fiery tornado will also become a Quick Step sequence and have buzz saws.

• Maybe for an Ascended Meme, the tornado will carry the GUN Truck. Cue Sonic to say "That Tornado's carrying a truck!"

Time Eater is deliberately placing Sonic into these points in time.

They are the moments with the greatest amount of conflict and thus danger for Sonic. I think it's no coincidence that every place except Green Hill seems to be at a time and place where something is going after Sonic or the area overall is highly dangerous for him. Green Hill is just there because Time Eater brought him there by accident; from that point onward, it tries to kill Sonic by putting him in a place where he could die easily.

To elaborate:

• Chemical Plant: The factory is suffering a meltdown. Everything is exploding around Sonic, and the Mega Mack will flood the factory and possibly the city soon.
• Stardust Speedway: Metal Sonic is there, who has proven to travel faster than Sonic.
• Sky Sanctuary: The Death Egg, a superweapon, has launched and is gearing up to attack Earth.
• Speed Highway: Station Square's entire police force is trying to catch Sonic.
• City Escape: This is when the G.U.N. Truck is rampaging about the city. There may be more than one. And G.U.N. is trying to catch Sonic.
• The ARK: Shadow, the one guy to be truly Sonic's equal, still hates Sonic at this point.
• Seaside Hill: The traps, especially the giant wheels, have been set on overdrive and the water currents have gone wild.
• Station Square: Perfect Chaos has destroyed the city and can take full advantage of Sonic's Super Drowning Skills.
• Crisis City: The entire world is collapsing around Sonic.
• Silver's Arena (wherever it might be): Proven to be a Game-Breaker in his debut game with his telekinetic infinites. In-story, he kicked Sonic's ass twice, and would have killed him if not interrupted by Amy and Shadow.
• Rooftop Run: Eggman seems to be attempting to take it over with his forces.
• Eggmanland: Eggman trying to kill Sonic while approaching the center of the Earth.
• Planet Wisp: The entire planet is undergoing rapid "terraforming" and its inhabitants' life force is being drained.
  • This doesn't work so well in the 3DS version, unless the Time Eater is sending Sonic to Casino Night to try to give him a crippling addiction to gambling or something...

The final enemy is Classic Robotnik

Modern Robotnik contacts them and they planned the entire ordeal together, orchestrating the game and jointly serving as the Time Eater. And then Modern Robotnik is used and tossed aside as usual, because so many modern Sonic games have that happen. But Classic Robotnik was always the real threat in his games, and is unwilling to take a back seat to anyone. Not even his own future-self. And CERTAINLY not when he learns that this pathetic future version is not only failing to defeat the hero regularly, but is repeatedly being used as a pawn, or finding that he's unable to control the very things his plans unleash, or otherwise making a damn fool of himself and relying on Sonic to clean up his mistakes. Classic Robotnik ends up being yet another mark on that record; Modern Robotnik is betrayed by Classic and has to appeal to the Sonics to stop his past self.

• Semi-jossed. Classic Robotnik does team up with Modern Eggman, but Classic sticks around with Modern by the final battle. If anything, Eggman's whole scheme in this game is more like a cross between Classic and Modern plots, with him finding a mysterious power, and using it for his own nefarious means, all while remaining the main villain of the story, averting the Evil Is Not a Toy trope.
  • Even better yet, he uses the Time Stones to travel around the time stream.

Considering Archie is getting in on this in comic form, Sonic Generations will involve Scourge/Anti-Sonic.

All hail the king, baby.

• Jossed. No sight of him anywhere.

Classic Sonic is why G.U.N. upgraded their truck.

Ever notice why the truck doesn't use its sawblades or rocket boosters when chasing Classic Sonic? Since it's possible that all Act 1 stages have Classic Sonic playable, and after a humiliation from trashing their truck so much and collapsing by slamming in a giant bridge support, they upgrade the truck before Modern Sonic's stage is played.

Sonic may bump into Axl Low at one point

Both are a victim of involuntary time travel problems of some sort. After seeing Sonic in action, Axl's inspired to try something similar to get his problem under control.

One of the DLC levels will be...

...Sonic 2's beta Hidden Palace level, just so Sega can finally use it. They could also try their hand at redoing Wood Zone.

The Time Eater is some sort of Wisp.

Just look at him!◊ He resembles the Nega Wisp Armor. Not to mention the Wisps are (probably) the only type of gameplay that appears in Generations that was exclusive to a game instead of an era of Sonic.

• [[spoiler:Chaos is a mutated Chao. The Time Eater very well could have been a Wisp that got mutated by its own exceptionally strong Hyper-Go-On energy — an energy that's said to be more powerful than the friggin' Chaos Emeralds — before Eggman got his hands on it and turned it into a robot. Heck, the Time Eater could have been made by Eggman's mind-control cannon going kaboom at the end of Sonic Colors — maybe one of the Wisps didn't make it out in time...

The game will reveal the next Sonic

Age 19-22 Taller with a more realistic runners build, and with a new gameplay style.He'll be there to Troll the fans.

Modern Tails will act as a babysitter of sorts to Classic Sonic and Tails

Or 'try' to at least. It would be funny to see Sonic just ignoring him and Classic Tails being torn between himself and his best friend.

The fact that Modern Sonic, Tails, and possibly Knuckles and Eggman understand Classic Sonic will be brought up

• Assuming they can (they haven't forgotten), they will also tell Classic Tails to stop translating for them.
  • Alternatively, M. Sonic could have forgotten sign, leading to a hilarious sequence between him and his incredulous past self until they find C. Tails.

There will be a Sonic Sez somewhere in the game

Most likely dealing with the Unpleasable Fanbase and telling them to stop being such jerks.

At some point, Modern will become so accustomed to Classic's non-verbal communication that he'll momentarily lapse back into the same habit himself.

Leading to Classic and Modern having a short conversation entirely in mime. Once Modern realizes his mistake, he'll refuse to tell the others what was "said".

• This will culminate in a CMOA just before the final boss fight.

The reason Omochao can keep up with Sonic is that the image of him is just in Sonic's head: in reality, he is using a walkie-talkie/mobile phone/whatever

No other game has shown Omochao to be that fast.

The Time Eater is The Air-Humping Clown From 3-D Ballz

• He was angered that he never got to be in the same spotlight as Sonic, and years after his game fell into obscurity, he somehow found all of the Chaos Emeralds and performed a One-Winged Angel with them in an attempt to rewrite history to make him a star in the same light as Sonic.

The Time Eater is somehow related to the Hyper-go-on energy.

As we've already seen in Colors, that is some pretty powerful stuff right there if it can create a black hole by accident. Unused voice clips even state that Hyper-go-on energy is more powerful than the Chaos Emeralds. Who knows what else it can do, especially in particularly large quantities. For all we know, Eggman could have inadvertently knocked down a domino when his Mind Control Cannon malfunctioned, eventually leading to a Negative Space Wedgie-esque Eldritch Abomination — the Time Eater.

Classic Sonic will have a crush on Modern Amy

There's nothing really special about Classic Amy as far as Classic Sonic thinks. But upon seeing the older and prettier Modern Amy, Classic Sonic will be smitten by her. Modern Amy, however, will see CS nothing more as a cute little kid and still has her eye on Modern Sonic. Hilarity Ensues.

• Jossed, but he has a crush on Blaze (talk to her as him after the VS challenge against her in Planet Wisp).
  • Not really. She comments on him "turning pink", which sounds like he's blushing at first, but when you think about it, she's actually talking about the spikes wisp ability that he uses during that challenge, which turns him bright pink and even more spikey.

Sonic '06 still didn't happen

Crisis City is the only remnant of it that we see, and through the power of Fridge Horror, it could be said that it's actually a city on the edge of one of the continents that get pulled up off the earth in Unleashed. The monsters of Iblis are more manifestations of Dark Gaia, and Silver is still angry at Sonic because, well, he helped cause it.

• This or possibly, Crisis City in this timeline is the result of Blaze's powers going out of control, causing her to believe her powers to be a curse and grow more distant from people (until Sonic Rush came along). This would also explain why she makes a comment about 'being back in Crisis City'. It's a painful remnant of her past. Blaze's powers are connected to Iblis still, so the monsters still appear there. Silver remains her friend all the same and only has second-hand knowledge of Sonic so, given that dopplegangers exist in the area, he's justifiably worried that the Sonic he's talking to is a fake and so doesn't want to hand out the Chaos Emerald he guards so easily, since it might mean the real Sonic might not be able to get to it. I hope this theory works.

The Time Eater temporarily killed Mario. Twice.

Only nine periods/games in Sonic's timeline were (barely) remaining when the Time Eater attacked. Alas, the Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games series is not among the nine, meaning that the Mushroom Kingdom briefly became a blank nothingness in 2007 and 2009, years not covered by Generations, by virtue of Sonic's interaction with that realm during those two years (The London Olympic Games is not accounted for, because it is being released after Generations.)

Classic Eggman became the Duke of Solenna...

Who was cloned into King Maxamillian Acorn.

If there's ever a sequel to Sonic Generations, the big bad will be students of Eggman.

After the credits, you see some amusing scenes with Modern and Classic Eggman. At the end of the sequence, Classic Eggman thinks about getting his teacher degree. Modern Eggman concurs, saying he "loves bossing people around". If there's a sequel to Sonic Generations, the big bad(s) will be multiple students of Classic Eggman who are actually just doing a "class experiment" with Sonic's world. They're not even aware it's screwing it up, until Classic Eggman reveals his true intentions.

• But by definition, this would mean that the students aren't the Big Bad. They'd be more along the lines of unwitting Dragons... is there a trope for that?

The Final Boss from Sonic CD will appear in the 3DS version.

...And after it is "defeated", Dr. Eggman will not accept defeat so easily.◊

This game was originally going to be much darker.

This has been in development since 2008, right? And it must have been in pre-production even longer. Back then, Sonic games had very dark plots.

Sonic is now 16 years old

• Since he's never had a birthday in the game before, this one might stick.
  • Considering how 16th birthdays in fiction tend to go, that actually seems reasonable enough.

The events of Generations created another timeline.

Let's look at the facts. Classic Sonic (taken from before/during the events of the first game) has visited locales that he won't traverse until later periods of time, many of these adventures taking place years down the line from Sonic 1. He learns the Homing Attack by watching Modern Sonic do it (and in the 3DS version, he also learns how to Boost). At the end of the game, Classic Eggman, trapped with his Modern counterpart in the Hub World/White Space (which they'll most likely escape sooner or later), muses that he'll go back and become a teacher. Eggman may have told his Classic self that the Time Eater plan would soon become his own, but the prospect of a Stable Time Loop seems nigh-impossible, mainly due to the fact that C. Sonic, C. Tails, and C. Eggman — surprisingly playing the role of Only Sane Man to himself — have at least some degree of knowledge about future events (and we all know how often stuff like that tends to muck up the future in sci-fi stories involving time travel). Now, whether or not Sega will capitalize on this possible Sequel Hook remains to be seen...

• The possible sequel of this? A bad present where Eggman (or should I say Robotnik?) has become far more successful, and managed to conquer a good portion of the planet. It's up to Sonic and co to fix the timeline, by preventing the Time Eater's creation. For bonus points, the alterations to the timeline could bring long forgotten characters back into the spotlight.
  • It's also possible that Classic Sonic is set not long before Sonic Adventure, as he is learning what is either an air dash or a Homing Attack. Notice that Sonic is rarely surprised when he goes to a new place. None of the areas he visited in the home console versions has him reacting in a way that would indicate he's never seen the places before in their own games from Speed Highway and onwards — it is entirely possible that when he does reach those places later in life, he's already aware of what they're like. (Crisis City being an exception, but the events of Sonic 2006 were erased out of existence anyway and thus Sonic would no longer recall it.)
    • It's worth noting that, in the 3DS version, Modern Sonic teaches Classic Sonic the homing attack.

Classic Sonic & Tails are from 'just' before Sonic 2

Green Hill is becoming Emerald Hill (the corkscrews), although I admit that this depends on a Word of God statement that I can barely remember. Sonic knows Tails and Metal Sonic after the events of CD (following my 'other' WMG that CD is just being reminisced by Sonic in the Ep.4 trailers). I had some other arguments but I forgot.

The Classics went into an alternate dimension that loops back to the current one [[spoiler:after '06

Following on from the other WMGs, and using some stuff I've read over the years. It explains why Sonic remembers '06 after the Reset Button; if the Sonic from '06 and the "real" Sonic converge after Elise blows the candle out, this Sonic sort of circumvents the "it never happened" deal. Given the lack of story in this game, you 'could' argue that the plot of Unleashed and Colours were never brought up (or the Moderns realized that this would cause a timeloop and kept quiet), and you could 'possibly' just Handwave Time Eater itself. Or just wait until I can remember where I intended to go with this. Being ill sucks.

• You could also argue that the alt. timeline also includes Sonic Schoolhouse.
• This leads right into...

Eggman was Tempting Fate

The "self righteous" quip seems to imply that Eggman had already gone through this when HE was younger. He probably thought he could play his cards differently after all his plans were trounced by Sonic over the years. Needless to say, this didn't turn out so good.

• If Eggman WAS trying to do different things across the different timelines, it would explaing why different characters shout things out during the boss fight.

This game explains why the Wisps are so trusting back in Sonic Colors

• Given that the tractor beam is still active, we can assume that Planet Wisp here takes place before it does in Colors. Here, the two Sonics basically barge in, grab the Wisps, and total the place, letting the Wisps know that the Blue Blur is a friend. So, on the same planet back in Colors, they swarm around Tails and Sonic as if to ask: "Where did you go?!". This also extends to any other example of Sonic using the Wisps, especially the Cyan Wisp back in Tropical Resort, who knows that Sonic can use Hyper-go-on, although Sonic himself doesn't.
  • Strange, isn't it?

Rooftop Run will become Modern Sonic's equivalent of Green Hill Zone

• Let's see: The music is nothing short of heavenly? Check. Appeared in more than one game, and declared one of, if not THE Best Level Ever in each? Check. Given the Unpleasable Fanbase, we'll probably only see hints of this level in future games, but, I swear to God, if Senoue makes a better remix than the ones in Generations...

Classic Sonic was added at the last minute

Thus, why his stages are more like a generic platformer.

Silver's now living in the present time!

From what I can tell, and this is a theory, since Silver may have probably reappeared in Sonic's timeline and not back in his timeline (and assuming from the Console/PC versions that it's before remeeting present Blaze), Silver went through a Cosmic Retcon where despite him living in a former bleak future, he now lives in the present timeline, hence why not only would he be living in Blaze's dimension, but also appear in future Sonic games like Sonic Free Riders and Mario & Sonic at the Olympics. But this is just a theory.

Sonic just weakens Perfect Chaos and Biolizard

for the Sonic of that time

• It explains why he doesn't go super (other than Took a Level in Badass) and why Perfect Chaos just goes back into the water. Sonic just knocked him down long enough to stop him blowing up the planet before Adventure!Sonic gets there. This also works for Biolizard, but with Shadow (note the absence of the zero gravity trick).
• Hilarious in Hindsight, as the first instance completely deconstructs The Power of Friendship if you go with the theory that Sonic is also weakening the bosses he fights.
  • It's not a complete deconstruction; Sonic still needed The Power of Friendship to turn Super and to snap Chaos out of his Unstoppable Rage.

The Time Eater was actually created by the black hole in Colors

We alread know the hyper-go-on Energy can do some pretty insane shit, first of all. It was revealed that Eggman found it right after the events in Colors, and the Time Eater does look... dark... black... you know what I mean.

• It would certainly explain why the various worlds weren't completely undone. Cuz you know, a black hole popping up tends to do that otherwise...

Spagonia's Festival celebrates their death sentence policy

Funded 100 years before Time Eater messes up Time/Space, Spagonia had decided that all crime would be punishable with death, which is why they celebrate by putting arbitrary guillotines in the city.

The Time Eater was part of Robotnik/Eggman's Evil Plan.

Fix the mistakes of the past! Even at the end, Robotnik and Eggman are still together, meaning that Robotnik escaped. Either before they worked on or after the Sonics defeated him, Eggman revealed to Robotnik his future, and where he will/had gone wrong. Warning him about that pesky echidna, that he'll need to keep ancient evils in control, his own creations in check, and that his grandfather will screw things up. With this knowledge, Robotnik will be prepared and win his battles.

Now why did he bother with the Time Eater at all? He theorised that talking about it would simply create an Alternate Timeline. Eggman wanted his history to change, not simply have another Robotnik. The Time Eater is an Eldritch Abomination who can control alternate timelines, so it could probably make sure the main timeline changes. Still, if that fails, at least he'll have some level of victory. Perhaps, one day, that Robotnik could travel to the main timeline and help him take over! It would go over much better than with Eggman Nega, since Robotnik would've been successful. Yes, I know this makes Eggman a Magnificent Bastard. It's only fitting that he gets to be one, showing how far he emerges out of his Villain Decay.

Classic Sonic sounds exactly like Steve Urkel.

He doesn't talk because he's embarrassed about it.

Mighty and Ray are dead.

Missing for over ten years? Yep, they're gone.

• This troper is willing to bet that Bark, Bean, and Nack have something to do with their deaths. What exactly are they wanted for...?

Alternatively, they were taken by the Time Eater.

The Time Eater took all the games, remember?

• Wouldn't that mean they've been frozen and floating in that limbo Tails mentioned for almost two decades?

The Time Eater was originally an angry Sonic fanboy.

The sheer depths of his fanboyism became too much for his reality to handle, and he started undoing time and space in a fit of rage. Eggman happened upon him after his last failure, and promised him to make everything in the Sonic franchise right if he worked for him.

The hub world is actually the first ever screen in Sonic games.

Y'know, where the Sega logo appeared against a blank white background.

The events of Sonic Generations caused Robotnik to become the eccentric figure we know today as Eggman.

After the game, Robotnik and Eggman are trapped in an empty Hub world. Since the timeline needs consistency, Robotnik will eventually get out of there, but given that they're in a Place Beyond Time, it could be relative eons until then. The time spent in the empty Hub World would likely be responsible for his transformation from a stable, straight-man Emperor Scientist to a childish Mad Scientist willing to use world-destroying monstrosities with little care. As for Eggman, the realisation that not only that he had to lose, but it's of his own doing, will drive him completely mad, and far deadlier.

• Aren't just you mixing up continuities? In the games Robotnik and Eggman are just two diffrent names for the same character, and both instances of the characters are pratically the same... because it's really just the same person.
  • Not quite-Present Eggman/Robotnik seems notably less stable than Classic Eggman/Robotnik, who seems to think his present self is a bit loopy.
  • Considering what he did in the past, shoving animals into robots and pinball gimick machines just for example, it's more of Hypocrital Humor.

This is what we get when there are too many continuities....

The statues are more frozen characters.

Them having color indicates that they're a different kind; Instead of floating in a black limbo, they're just paralyzed like that. Any characters that are already up in the white world are versions of them from a different time.

OK, let's see if we can't get these timelines straightened out.

Thankfully, this should be easier than Homestuck's.

End of Sonic Colors: Eggman discovers the remains of the Time Eater in the void of space. Realizing its time travel abilities and with a fresh Sonic-dealt defeat on his mind, he decides to try and rectify the past. While his genius manages to get it to function as a time machine, he can't get it up to full operational capacity to rip time apart without help. He decides to get his past self to assist, and thus uses the Time Eater to move through time. However, through either its partially operational condition or Eggman not having as hard a grip on it as he thought, he ends up going forwards in time instead of backwards.

Meanwhile, in the Future…, Eggman had eventually gotten the machine at max power and started tearing time apart. In the process that dumps Sonic and his friends along with Classic Sonic and Tails, Classic Robotnik arrives as well. Seeing a pattern among the remains of the zones present in the timeless limbo, particularly of the Genesis era, he sees an opportunity to finish off the hedgehog once and for all. Using his limited resources provided, he rebuilds the Death Egg Robot, but it isn't nearly as strong as its original incarnation and goes down rather easily.

Here we rejoin Eggman with a minimally-functioning Time Eater, as it is here that Eggman picks up Classic Robotnik. After popping out of the boss arena, Eggman explains his plan to Robotnik, who agrees to assist. Between the two of them, they get the Time Eater back to full operation, with actual control over what direction in time they're going, and start tearing apart the timeline to erase their failures from history.

After they've done as much damage as they felt necessary, Eggman decides to test to see if his plan is working as intended. Leaving Robotnik to man the Time Eater, he pulls out the Egg Dragoon and faces off against Sonic again near the end of the game. However, as per usual with his confrontations with the hedgehog, he is defeated. Upon seeing his older self's failing, Robotnik swoops in and picks Eggman up. Eggman eventually comes to the idea of using the Time Eater's arsenal of weapons on both Sonics in a more direct fashion, and they eventually arrive at the Time Eater's boss arena. The rest is history.

Along with creating an Alternate Timeline, the game will also be the final game (bar spinoffs and prequels) to feature D.r Eggman (as the main antagonist, at least)

The ending of the game features both classic and modern Eggmans (Eggmen?) stuck in the white void outside of space-time continuum with clearly no way out. Sure, they can think of a way to escape, but since the void is... well... void, they have absolutely no way to build anything that would help them escape, so basically, they are stuck there for good. Not only that, but classic Eggman also learns from his future self that he'll never win against Sonic, and as we saw in the game, classic Eggman is scared of how modern Eggman turned out, so it can safely be assumed that if they get out of the void, classic Eggman won't be too motivated to repeat what his future self went through. Potentially, he'll follow his new dream and become a professor, thus forfeiting his role of the main antagonist. Basically, if he gets out of the void, his future self's experience will have changed and he'll turn into a new character entirely, or if he doesn't... well, then there's no Eggman anymore at all. In any case, no matter whether classic Eggman gets out of the void or not, the timeline will be altered starting from the moment he became involved with his future self, writing Sonic Adventure and all of the following games out of the canon.

• Or Modern Eggman explains why his plans got screwed up.

The Time Eater is the 'ghost' of Solaris

Omnipotent super-dimensional time-traveling gods don't die easy.

Going by this, the Time Eater is the corpse-like remains of Solaris.

When the events of Sonic 06 were retconned, the physical form of Solaris still existed due to its time abilities. However, the consciousness had been purged and the body was already severely damaged from the fight with Sonic, Silver, and Shadow. Because of this, the physical form existed as a degraded, soulless version of Solaris, making it easy to control. Despite this, the Time Eater still possessed some of its original form's power — hence why it took two super hedgehogs to beat.

• The WMG above this one basically sums it up. Even though all of it was "destroyed", its god-like form could mean that the collapse of Eggman's Interstellar Amusement Park could have somehow brought a tiny shard of it out of nonexistence. That would be enough for the brilliant Eggman.

Going further on the above, the Time Eater is a fusion between the body of Solaris, the energy of Dark Gaia, and the mechanisms of the Nega Wisp

• The body of Solaris would provide the aforementioned time-traveling capabilities, but Eggman likely used similar mechanisms as when he created the Nega-Whisp to make it a Clockwork Creature (incidentally pulling a We Can Rebuild Him on Solaris), while using the energy of Dark Gaia explains why the Time Eater is Dark Is Evil compared to Solaris' Light Is Not Good.

There is going to be no more DLC for Generations

You'd think that if there was any DLC outside the Pinball Minigame that they would have released it by now huh?

Generations 's Crisis City was Station Square.

Since the events of Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) never happened, Iblis would've never razed Soleanna. Rather, this game's Crisis City is a result of Blaze's power going out of control in the future and spawning hellbeasts that burned Station Square to the ground. This theory is further supported by Blaze when you talk to her after rescuing her.

• A mini-expansion is that Blaze's power flaring up wasn't her fault, but the Time Eater using the powers for itself it to raze Station Square - and if the Time Eater was tied into Iblis/Solaris, that would explain why he created it in the "image" of the original Crisis City.

Orbot and Cubot helped to get Eggman/Robotnik out of the time void after the events of the game.

It at least explains why Eggman got to be the main villain again for Sonic Lost World, and how Orbot and Cubot are his Co-Dragons after he abandoned them to be lost in space when he went for the Time Eater. It certainly would've taken them a while to get into the time void (and given the Timey-Wimey Ball within the time void, who knows how long it lasted for Eggman/Robotnik), but it ultimately gives a reason for why Eggman, Orbot and Cubot are reunited again starting in the next game on.

Now that the timeline has collapsed, Shadow has gained memories of all 326 ending combinations from his own game.

That's why he acts so aloof again: because he has the bad in him again as well as the good

The Shadow and Silver in the 3DS version are not the present ones.

Clues: They're found in the boss gate instead of the hub worlds, they don't come back to support Sonic during the Time Eater battle, and they aren't back in the present in the ending. The Shadow is from Sonic Adventure 2, while the Silver could be from Sonic 06, Sonic Rivals series , or the DS version of Sonic Colors.

Blaze came to Sonic's party because of the Emeralds.

Just like when Blaze seems to suggest this to Sonic at the end of Sonic Rush Adventure.

• It's likely as in her Japanese profile on Sonic Channel, it is mentioned that she can manipulate the Sol Emeralds to travel through time and space into Sonic's world, In the DS version of Sonic Colors, Blaze also appeared at Sweet Mountain due to the actions of the Sol Emeralds, and in the Adventure Mode of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games it is mentioned that Blaze used the Sol Emeralds to travel to Sonic's world to participate in the games.

The Time Eater is Mephiles.

Solaris is a being that exists outside of time, and as such, wasn't affected by the time reset at the end of Sonic '06. However, Solaris suffered a brutal defeat at the hands of Sonic, Shadow, and Silver. Its components, Iblis and Mephiles, were scattered throughout time and space. The Time Eater is the remains of Mephiles, his brilliant tactical mind gone, replaced with pure rage and power, just like his other half, Iblis.

Stage and Boss suggestions for a possible Sonic Generations sequel.

• Stages:
  • Sonic the Hedgehog: Star Light Zone
  • Sonic the Hedgehog 2: Mystic Cave Zone
  • Sonic 3 & Knuckles: Ice Cap Zone
  • Sonic Adventure: Windy Valley
  • Sonic Adventure 2: Final Rush^note The actual stage, and not the boss arena Sonic battles Shadow in.
  • Sonic Heroes: Egg Fleet
  • Sonic the Hedgehog (2006): Wave Ocean
  • Sonic Unleashed: Dragon Road
  • Sonic Colors: Aquarium Park
  • Sonic Lost World: Desert Ruins
  • Sonic Mania: Studiopolis Zone
  • Sonic Forces: Null Space
• Bosses:
  • Genesis Era: Death Egg Robot (Sonic 3&K Version)
  • Adventure Era: Metal Madness/Metal Overlord
  • Modern Era: Egg Nega Wisp

Sonic and friends eventually rescued both Eggmen from the void.

They figured that if they were trapped in the void forever, it would cause a Reality-Breaking Paradox. Classic Eggman was rescued, and Modern Eggman managed to sneak out. That, or they felt being stuck in the void forever was too much even for Eggman.

Stages from Sonic Advance 3 and Sonic Rush Adventure were originally planned for the handheld version.

• While the handheld version has three stages in the Genesis era as usual, there's only two stages in the other eras. In addition, among the eight exclusive pieces of concept art in the handheld version are two images from Sonic Advance 3 and three from Sonic Rush Adventure. In light of the other concept art originating specifically from the handheld version of Sonic Colors, it would suggest the aforementioned games were intended to be used, if not for the six month development.

Perfect Chaos’ changed appearance is the result of only having one emerald.

• During the climax of Sonic Adventure, Chaos drained the power from all seven chaos emeralds, transforming into Perfect Chaos as a result, a beast that took Super Sonic to take down. However, in this game, you only get a single chaos emerald from beating Perfect Chaos, which he was ostensibly drawing power from. It seems likely that the Time Eater’s powers forced Chaos back into his "Perfect" form to fight Sonic, but he was considerably weaker, having only one emerald to draw energy from, which resulting in his appearance changing somewhat. It also explains why Sonic doesn’t need to go super to beat him anymore – not only is he stronger now, he’s actually facing a less powerful foe.

Sonic X Shadow Generations guesses

In Shadow's campaign in Sonic X Shadow Generations, the Final Boss is:

• Black Doom, Shadow fighting his eye form in a Level in Boss Clothing
• Black Doom, recreating his fight from Shadow the Hedgehog from the GUN Fortress, Cosmic Fall, or Final Haunt acts
• The Devil Doom fight with or without Super Shadow
• The Sonic vs. Shadow fight from the original Sonic Generations, this time with the perspectives flipped
• An alternate version of Shadow that joined Black Doom.
• Mephiles the Dark
• A legally distinct but pretty similar character to Eclipse the Darkling from the Archie Comics, a Black Arms enforcer who is Shadow's equal in every way except evil and is pure Black Arms member instead of a hedgehog.
• Iblis then Mephiles the Dark then Solaris
• Black Doom merged with the Time Eater.
• Eggman Nega using his own version of the Time Eater or a different machine entirely.

Black Doom is not technically resurrected or faked his death, but is time displaced.

He is simply one of the many victims of Dr. Eggman breaking time. Unlike Chaos and Metal Sonic, he has intentions on taking advantage of this situation to prevent his future death.

• He is from the time after he was beaten but before the Black Asteroid exploded killing him.

Characters that will be a part of Shadow's campaign:

• Maria Robotnik - the Steam description says that "Shadow must journey into his own past, confront painful memories [...]" and Maria's death definitely is at the top of that list. Considering the time travel aspect of the game, maybe the campaign will end with Shadow visiting the ARK in the past and getting to say goodbye to her.
• E-123 Omega
• Rouge the Bat
• Mephiles the Dark - The Crisis City stage shows the Time Eater can pull things from aborted timelines, so it's possible. Maybe could finally canonize Ian Flynn's Mephiles becomes the Time Eater idea to tie the campaign to the base game.
• The G.U.N. Commander - Could show how Shadow joined G.U.N. and maybe give him a real name too.
• Classic Knuckles and Classic Amy - Simply to explain their absence in the original game.
• Modern Metal Sonic
• Vector the Crocodile
• Professor Gerald Robotnik
• Doctor Ivo Robotnik
• Orbot and Cubot - Shortly after Modern Eggman abandons them in space, Black Doom appears and corrupts them into more competent henchmen under his bidding. Part of Shadow's campaign is dedicated to freeing the duo from Black Doom's control. Following the credits, they will be shown returning to the present following an offscreen mission to rescue Eggman from the White Space, but in true Bumbling Henchmen Duo fashion, it is revealed they brought back the wrong Eggman.

New Levels & Bosses

• Shadow Levels
  • Level: Radical Highway (Sonic Adventure 2)
  • Rival: Sonic (Sonic Adventure 2)
  • Level: Final Chase (Sonic Adventure 2)
  • Boss: Biolizard (Sonic Adventure 2)
  • Level: Gimme Shelter (Sonic Battle) or Grand Metropolis/Power Plant (Sonic Heroes)
  • Rival: Emerl or Chaos Gamma (Sonic Battle) or Team Chaotix (Sonic Heroes)
  • Level: Westopolis (Shadow the Hedgehog) and/or Black Comet (Shadow The Hedgehog)
  • Boss: Black Doom or Devil Doom (Shadow the Hedgehog)
  • Level: Radical Train (Sonic 06) or Neon Palace Zone (Sonic Rivals 2)
    • Flame Core (Sonic 06) (while yes, it is very similar to Crisis City, it's also where Shadow found out humanity would betray him in the future.
  • Rival: Silver (Sonic 06) or Metal Sonic 3.0 (Sonic Rivals 2)
  • Level: Dusty Desert (Sonic 06), Shrouded Forest (Sonic and the Black Knight), or Chaotic Inferno Zone (Sonic Rivals 2)
  • Boss: Mephiles the Dark (Sonic 06), Earth Dragon (Sonic and the Black Knight) or Ifrit (Sonic Rivals 2)
  • Final Boss: Time Eater or an entirely new final boss such as Eggman Nega
• Sonic Levels
  • Level: Evil Foundry (Sonic and the Secret Rings)
  • Boss: Erazor Djinn
  • Level: Camelot Castle (Sonic and the Black Knight)
  • Rival: Sir Lancelot/Sir Gawain/Sir Percival/King Arthur (Sonic and the Black Knight)
  • Boss: Dark Queen
  • Level: Frozen Factory (Sonic Lost World) or Lava Mountain (Sonic Lost World)
  • Rival: Zazz or Zeena (Sonic Lost World)
  • Boss: Zavok or Super Eggrobo (Sonic Lost World)
  • Level: Studiopolis Zone (Sonic Mania)
  • Boss: Heavy King (Sonic Mania)
  • Level: Luminous Forest (Sonic Forces)
  • Boss: Infinite (Sonic Forces)

This game will make the Mural Theory canon.

Many fans believe that, with Sonic Battle showing that Professor Gerald studied Angel Island, he may have based Shadow's appearance on a mural of Super Sonic fighting the professor's grandson in Sonic 3 & Knuckles. This game will reveal that to be true.

Shadow's levels are more combat focused compared to the original, structured similarly to '06

The first trailer showed how Shadow would fight off enemies in a small arena, using Chaos Control to teleport to nearby enemies and attack them. Shadow also appears to use the Chaos Spear during the Biolizard boss fight. Possibly more Frontiers inspired.

Black Doom's role in the game.

Black Doom will either be the Big Bad and is eventually revealed to be a hallucination representing Shadow's inability to accept his Black Arms heritage; or Black Doom escaped by resetting his timeline, and putting himself is a "Groundhog Day" Loop until he defeated Shadow before escaping to take revenge on Shadow in the main timeline.

Alternately, Black Doom isn't the final boss and is only the second major boss, with the plot twist that the Time Eater is behind everything or that some other force is pulling the strings. In either case, the ending for Shadow's campaign takes place before Sonic's fight with the Time Eater, explaining how Shadow still appears in the pre-battle cutscene for the final battle despite having an entire campaign on his own to go through.

References to Shadow's own game

The alternate stories and endings of Shadow the Hedgehog – particularly the ones where Shadow goes bad – will be directly referenced as potential Alternate Timelines that Black Doom will try to nudge Shadow towards.

With Black Doom returning, and possibly having knowledge of various erased timelines (after all, the Time Eater temporarily pulled Crisis City out of being erased), it seems likely that he will try to manipulate Shadow into the timeline with his conquest of Earth being successful, and Shadow under his thumb. He will attempt to tempt Shadow into following him as before, but will initially have no idea that Shadow has undergone enough Character Development since Devil Doom’s death to put the past behind him for good.

Alternatively, the Time Eater pulled Black Doom out of one of these alternative timelines, and he’ll be baffled as to why Shadow is no longer following orders.

There will be a Shout-Out to Kill la Kill.

The Twitter takeovers established that Shadow is a big fan of Kill la Kill, perhaps because of the similarities between Ryuko and himself and/or Ragyo and Black Doom. I don't think they'll go as far as to have Black Doom sing "Blumenkranz" (as hilarious as that would be), but there may be some sort of nod given to the show.

Mephiles and Black Doom will be a Big Bad Ensemble

A shard of Mephiles is revived and chooses to use what time powers he has to shove Shadow through his checkered past as a means to break him with Black Doom being a time displace variant that tries to win over Shadow to be his herald by highlighting humanities atrocities and flaws, how Shadow is superior to the planet's various species and friends, and trying to use his (very meager) familial ties with Shadow.

The Time Eater fight will be altered.

The fight itself will either add the attacks from the 3DS version (and possibly use the Time Eater's 3DS Design), or overhaul the fight entirely (or at least omit the "It's a Homing Shot" lines).

The game will have a new ending that serves as a soft reboot of the series.

Completing both Sonic and Shadow's respective campaigns will unlock Last Story, which will have a new final level and have you fight an incarnation of THE END as the True Final Boss, leading to a new ending where a new timeline is created. This allows SEGA to reorganize the timeline, clear out any continuity errors and properly incorporate the IDW canon into the games.

Possible new skills.

• Classic: Super Peel-Out.
• Modern:
• Timeless: Drop Dash.

The infamous Doomsday Zone remix from the 3DS version's E3 demo will finally be used.

There won't be a one level per game rule for Shadow Generations

This game will be a celebration and retrospective of Shadow's history (both from a level perspective and seemingly lore perspective). It doesn't seem to make much sense to include games that Shadow wasn't in at all, though there aren't nearly as many games with Shadow playable as Sonic. Even fewer if they decide to ignore the Rivals series due to an absence in Japan. With his playable games being Adventure 2, Heroes, Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic 06, potentially Black Knight and Forces, and maybe a boss from Sonic Battle, avoiding this rule will allow the game to be longer while not adding filler levels that have nothing to do with Shadow.

Black Doom and/or Mephiles will show Shadow his potential future from Sonic 06

As Shadow has done this song and dance a few times before, Shadow will also be taken to Flame Core and find out how quickly humanity turned on him, showing him for the first time (without the Cosmic Recon that made him forget). Black Doom tried using his past trauma and failed, Mephiles tried using his future doom and failed, but a combination of the two might make it easier to tempt him to give in to the darker side. Even more with the above theory of showing the alternate Shadow timelines.

The Shadow Sonic fought in Generations was not the Shadow we know.

It's a Shadow from one of his evil timelines. Our Shadow only showed up at the end.

This game will use a 3D hub world

To reflect how Sonic debuted in the 2D era, Shadow's White Space hub world will be a 3D environment similar to the hubs of Adventure and 06.

Black Arms other than Black Doom won't be fought directly.

Let's be honest, guys, Sega isn't keen on letting Sonic characters kill organic creatures. As a compromise, Black Doom may summon undead/ghost Black Arms that Shadow already killed, so that GUN robots won't be the only ones thrashed.

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